Leopard
thumb|300pxLeopards are Talking Beasts and inhabitants of Narnia. They were first seen by the Pevensies as the apparent personal attendants of Aslan, as they stood by his side, holding his crown and standard. Description Talking leopards were approximately the same size as the dumb ones of our world, apparently. Like on Earth, the sharp claws and teeth of Narnian leopards help them bring down their enemies swiftly, and they are so strong that they can haul their kills into trees. In appearance, both terrestrial and Narnian leopards have markings very similar to those of Cheetahs (a cheetah's skin is spotted, while a leopard's is marked by black rosettes). In actuality, however, they are more closely related to Lions, Tigers and Jaguars. History Leopards came from the ground when Aslan called them at the dawn of Narnia's history, and the Lion gave them speech and intellgience, along with all of the other Talking Beasts. They were among those that chased after Andrew Ketterley, when they thought that he might be the evil that Aslan had warned them about (or the Neevil, as they pronounced it). They were also present at the coronation of King Frank I and Queen Helen, the first monarchs of Narnia. During the Winter Revolution, many talking Leopards fought and served in Aslan's Army. When the Pevensies first met Aslan, two leopards stood beside him, one holding his crown and one his standard. Two leopards (possibly the same two) were sent to make sure Aslan's terms were met when the White Witch asked to meet with him. They also fought in the First Battle of Beruna. Leopards took part in all of the major events and battles in Narnia until Aslan ended the Narnian World in 2555 NY, but there is no significant mention of them in any Narnian history after the Winter Revolution. Film Adaption * In the The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (film), Leopards and cheetahs were among the big cats that were seen leading the charge at the First Battle of Beruna. One attempted to pounce on the White Witch from above a cliff, only to be turned to stone by her. Another leopard or cheetah is seen fighting a werewolf. * Another leopard was seen in the White Witch's Courtyard, turned to stone, but was revived by Aslan. * In the The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (film), several leopards are seen including a melanistic leopard (Black panther). Trivia *Despite the lion's reputation as 'king of the jungle' or 'king of beasts', this is only the case in Western culture. In Africa itself, the majority of the tribes actually thought of the leopard as the ultimate predator and king of the jungle. The ancient people of Benin had a ritual where the heir of the throne had to sacrifice a leopard to the gods. It symbolized that the future king of the people was blessed with the power and wisdom with now deceased king of the beasts. Wearing the fur of a leopard was considered standard in many rituals, as well as a sign of royalty, such as with the Zulus. Some tribes, such as the Mabadu, worshiped leopards to the extremes, and gave rise to the Anioto, more commonly known as the 'Leopard Men', a cult of cannibalistic assassins and religious extremists that took part in ceremonial human sacrifices and much more. *Leopards are the smallest of all big cats in the Panthera genus. Other members of the Panthera genus include the lion, tiger, jaguar and snow leopard. *The Latin name of the leopard is Panthera Pardus. *Leopards can be born as a melanistic animal, meaning they have black fur. While the term black panther usually refers to a melanistic leopard, it is also used to describe black jaguars and cougars. *Leopards can adapt to easier to various environments and diets, as they've been seen living in jungles, savannas, mountains, forests and urban areas, and their diet ranges from dung beetles and rodents, to primates and ungulates. Because of this, the leopard has the largest range of any big cat, living in many regions of Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. *Leopards have a total of nine subspecies. See Also *Lion *Tiger *Panther *Cheetah Category:Old Narnians Category:Animals Category:Aslan's Army Category:The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Category:The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Disney movie) Category:Prince Caspian (Disney movie) Category:Talking Beasts